1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to virtual worlds. More particularly, the present invention relates to economy in virtual worlds.
2. Background Art
Online virtual worlds allow users to explore exciting new settings and to enjoy fantasy worlds with settings far removed from everyday life. Whether visiting past or future settings, alternative dimensions or alternative histories, virtual worlds allow user to play out various “what if” scenarios and to experience a reality very different from their own. By visiting these virtual worlds, users can transport themselves to worlds defined by rules and logic that may not exist in the real world.
Besides virtual worlds, other online services such as auction sites, e-commerce merchants, web currency, and online classifieds can provide useful resources for many users. However, since these online services tend to be based on real money currency transactions, they may be less applicable for certain population segments. For example, younger users may see little use for many of these services, as they may require a credit card, bank account, or another account that may have limited eligibility for younger applicants. Moreover, as younger users may have little disposable income, the value of such online services based on real money currency transactions may be further reduced.
Virtual worlds tend to adopt similar currency transaction based economic conventions as well. In many virtual worlds, virtual items, characters, and other valuable virtual properties are purchased and traded with virtual currency transactions. Besides obtaining virtual currency through actions carried out in the virtual worlds, users may also obtain virtual currency through real money transactions, exchanging real world currency for virtual currency. Some virtual worlds may condone these real money transactions and facilitate their completion, whereas other virtual worlds may discourage such transactions to foster a sense of egalitarianism. In either case, these real money transactions will nevertheless tend to occur in virtual worlds with sufficiently compelling content. As a result, these virtual worlds may retain many of the drawbacks of real world economies, including inflation and exchange rate fluctuations.
However, since virtual worlds are available to a global audience and are not restricted by the limitations of real world economies, there is no reason for virtual worlds to solely adopt such currency-based economic systems. While it may be convenient and familiar for developers to model virtual economies similarly to real world economies, such a pairing may not effectively leverage the unlimited possibilities provided by virtual worlds. In particular, users from the younger generation may be better served by new virtual economic paradigms that are more inclusive and less focused on real money transactions.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a new way to define virtual transactions for virtual worlds.